Baseball base



P. C. GOODRICK BASEBALL BASE` f I Nov.- 29, 1938,

Filed July '1, 1937 INV ENT OR.

NOSWL L5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 29, 1938 VPATshirori-"lei:

BASEBALLBASE Ferry' Goodrick, Fond du Lac, Wis.

Application July 1,1937, Serial No. 151,354 f.

3 claims.

-' This invention relates to animprovement in iii) afbaseball base utilized for marking the several points on the diamond and is especially designed as a playground base for use rin playing soft ball.

Bases of this character heretofore employed have been so constructed and have a strap arrangement so combined therewith that the base must always be positioned with one side up and its other-side down. The spikes of the players shoes wear-out the top side of the base and it must then bediscarded since the base must always be positioned with one side, that is the to-p side, up and the other side down. i Y

One of theprincipal objects of the present invention is to' provide a base of this character which is -readily reversible, thatis to say, when one side'of the base'becomes worn it may be turned over and the other side exposed to take the wear and tear of use. In carrying out the present invention the base is so constructed that both its bottom and top sides are of substantially the same appearance and substantially the same structure so that either side may be used as the top side of the base. The web strap arrangement is so combined with the opposite side edges of the base that it may be employed for anchoring the base to the ground with either side of the base uppermost. In other Words, the base structure itself and the strap arrangement 'are both so constituted and related as to make the base reversible.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a View in top plan showing a base embodying the present invention with the anchoring straps extended;

Figure 2 is a view illustrating the base in bottom plan with the anchoring straps positioned to co-act with the anchoring stake which is illustrated in horizontal cross section;

Figure 3 is a view in transverse vertical cross section taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary detail views in vertical cross section taken on lines 4--4 and 5 5 respectively of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a View in top plan with parts broken away and illustrating the manner in which the filling and covering of the base are interrelated in the production of the article;

Figure '7 is a plan View illustrating the blank or Vsheet whichrconstitutes thercovering or enclosure for the filling for the base; and

Figure 8 is a detail perspective View of the anchoring stake.

Referring to the drawing the numeral I designates generally the casing or ticking of the base which is constituted of canvas or duck or other suitable textile material adapted to withstand usage of the character to which a base is subjected. This casingIO encloses a fibrous filling II of suitable material. Generally the casing is made upcf a top I2, bottom I3, and a peripheral connecting wall I4, the top and bottom being quilted together by lines of stitching I which extend through the top and bottom and through -the intervening brouslling. By having the `quilting extend entirely" through the base both sides are of same general appearance and present the same structure so as to adapt the base :for use with either' side up.

The casing is made up of a sheet of fabric illustrated in Figure 7 and designated at S. The sheet is folded centrally along the line a and at its ends along lines b and c. Its side edges d are seamed together to provide a bag-like structure into which the filling is stuffed. To provide a hard, compact base the edges e upon the lines of fold b and c are interfolded and then stitched together as indicated at I6. The casing adjacent the line of fol-d a may be tucked or folded as indicated at I l and the folded portion stitched together. The quilting extends diagonally or obliquely across the base and in such fashion that the lines of stitching or quilting intersect at right angles. These lines of stitching are designated at I8 and I9 in Figures 1 and 2. In addition there is a rectangular quilting or line of stitching adjacent the periphery of the base which gives the edge or periphery of the base a rounded or rib-like appearance.

Web-like anchoring straps designated at 25 and 26 are attached to opposite edges of the base and each is provided at its outer end with a metallic eyelet 2l. The inner edge of each anchoring strap is extended in between the side edges of the base as indicated at 28 in Figure 4 and is securely united to the base by the stitching 29 which secures the side edges d together. With this construction the anchoring straps are disposed midway between the upper and lower surfaces of the base and as a consequence may be employed to anchor the base with either side up. When the straps are employed to secure the base in position they are extended under the base and their eyelets overlapped. Through the overlapping and alined eyelets an anchoring stake 30 extends and is driven into the ground.

With a base of this character either side may be employed to take the Wear and tear of the spikes of the players shoes. In other words, the base may be readily reversed. This practically doubles the life of the base.

While I have shown and described one construction in which the invention may be advantageously embodied, itis to be understood that the construction shown has been selected merely for the purpose of illustration or example and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention or thel'scope of the subjoined claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. A baseball base of the-character described comprising a iiat bag-like casing made up of a sheet of textile material folded upon `itself to `provide .upper and lower fsides, a brouslling in said receptacle,flineslof stitching'uniting the end-.and side ledges of-thesheet to complete `the enclosure of the filling in the receptacle, :trans- .versely extending ;lines lof *stitches penetrating lboth-sides of the receptacle andiits brouslling -to'rnaintain the base flat and to egiVe both sides "of the casing substantially the same quilted ructure and appearance ywhereby .the base is reversible, and anchoringstraps `attached to the opposite edges of -.the base :ata pointmidway `between the upper and'lower vsides andi-effective to secure the basefin position with either side up.

2. A baseball base-,ofthe character described comprising aat bag-like-casingmade up of a sheet of 'textile material folded upon itself to provide upper and lower sides, a fibrous lling in said receptacle, lines of stitching uniting the end and side edges of the sheet tol complete the enclosure of the lling in the receptacle, transversely extending lines of stitches penetrating both sides of the receptacle and its fibrous lling to maintain the base flat and to give both sides of the casing substantially the same quilted structure and appearance whereby the base is reversible, land .anchoring straps l.having their inner ends interposed between :the opposite portions of the side edges of the receptacle and secured thereto by the lines of stitching which fasten the edges together, said anchoring straps Lbingffoldable into substantial parallelism with either side of thebase and having eyelets at their adjacent ends adapted to coact with an anchor- "ingzstake .Wherebyathe base may be releasably securedin position with either side up.

'3. Abaseball base of the character described .comprising af flat rbag-like 'casingoftextilezmatetrial, :a llingAof .lbrous material v:in-said fcasing, .fa line i of :stitching offset inwardly from the periphery of ythe receptacle '--and penetrating both `sides of the casing andthe llingtogive a= rounded rib-like formation around ,theentire periphery-of 7thebase, stitching inwardly of the friblike -lformation `and ,l-penetrating *.both sides :of the casing and-the llingatofsecure bothsidesof the'casing to Ltheiilhng and give bothr sides -sub- .stantially kthe .same fstr-ucture and :appearance whereby -the base is reversible, and `:anchoring straps attached to the-opposite edges of -zthe base .at a `pointmidway between 4the upper f'aznd :lower sides thereof fand qeiective to -releasably .secure the -base in `:position.withfeither side zup. y

`PERRY 1C. GOODRICK 

